Hypericum plant named ‘Kolmawhi’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Hypericum  plant named ‘Kolmawhi’, characterized by its upright and columnar plant habit; moderately vigorous growth habit; dark green-colored leaves; uniform and freely flowering habit; uniform and high density of fruits; pale yellow-colored fruits; and resistance to  Puccinia  rust.

Botanical designation: Hypericum×inodorum.

Cultivar denomination: ‘Kolmawhi’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Hypericum, botanically known as Hypericum×inodorum and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘Kolmawhi’.

The new Hypericum plant is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Heelsum, The Netherlands. The objective of the breeding program is to create new Hypericum cultivars with strong foliage and numerous attractive fruits.

The new Hypericum plant originated from a cross-pollination in 2003 in Heelsum, The Netherlands of a proprietary selection of Hypericum×inodorum identified as code number 84-2, not patented, as the female, or seed parent with a proprietary selection of Hypericum×inodorum identified as code number 88-5, not patented, as the male, or pollen, parent. The new Hypericum was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a single flowering plant within the progeny of the stated cross-pollination in a controlled greenhouse environment in Heelsum, The Netherlands in 2005.

Asexual reproduction of the new Hypericum plant by vegetative cuttings in Boskoop, The Netherlands since 2006 has shown that the unique features of this new Hypericum plant are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the new Hypericum have not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment such as temperature and light intensity without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘Kolmawhi’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Kolmawhi’ as a new and distinct cultivar of Hypericum:

-   -   1. Upright and columnar plant habit.     -   2. Moderately vigorous growth habit.     -   3. Dark green-colored leaves.     -   4. Uniform and freely flowering habit; uniform and high density         of fruits.     -   5. Pale yellow-colored fruits.     -   6. Resistant to Puccinia rust.

Plants of the new Hypericum differ from plants of the female parent selection in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Hypericum have stronger stems than plants         of the female parent selection.     -   2. Plants of the new Hypericum are more freely flowering than         plants of the female parent selection.     -   3. Plants of the new Hypericum and the female parent selection         differ in fruit color as plants of the female parent selection         have cream-colored fruits.

Plants of the new Hypericum differ from plants of the male parent selection in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Hypericum have darker green-colored leaves         than plants of the male parent selection.     -   2. Plants of the new Hypericum and the male parent selection         differ in fruit color as plants of the male parent selection         have pale green-colored fruits.     -   3. Plants of the new Hypericum are resistant to Puccinia rust         whereas plants of the male parent selection are susceptible to         Puccinia rust.

Plants of the new Hypericum can be compared to plants of the Hypericum ‘White Condor’, not patented. In side-by-side comparisons, conducted in Boskoop, The Netherlands, plants of the new Hypericum differed from plants of ‘White Condor’ in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Hypericum were more vigorous than plants of         ‘white Condor’.     -   2. Plants of the new Hypericum were more uniform than plants of         ‘White Condor’.     -   3. Plants of the new Hypericum and ‘White Condor’ differed in         fruit color as plants of ‘White Condor’ had cream-colored         fruits.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearance of the new cultivar, showing the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the actual colors of the new Hypericum.

The photograph on the first sheet comprises a top perspective view of a typical flowering plant of ‘Kolmawhi’.

The photograph at the top of the second sheet is a close-up view of a typical flower with developing fruit of ‘Kolmawhi’; the photograph at the bottom of the second sheet is a close-up view of a typical leaf of ‘Kolmawhi’.

The photograph on the third sheet is a close-up view of a typical fruit of ‘Kolmawhi’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 2001 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used. Plants used for the aforementioned photographs and following description were grown for two years under conditions which closely approximate commercial Hypericum production conditions in an outdoor nursery in Boskoop, The Netherlands. During the production of the plants, day temperatures ranged from 12° C. to 30° C. and night temperatures ranged from 5° C. to averaged 16° C.

-   Botanical classification: Hypericum×inodorum ‘Kolmawhi’. -   Parentage:     -   -   Female, or seed, parent.—Proprietary selection of             Hypericum×inodorum identified as code number 84-2, not             patented.         -   Male, or pollen, parent.—Proprietary selection of             Hypericum×inodorum identified as code number 88-5, not             patented. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type cutting.—Vegetative cuttings.         -   Time to initiate roots.—About three weeks at 18° C. to 30°             C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant.—About five weeks at             18° C. to 30° C.         -   Root description.—Medium in thickness; fibrous; white in             color.         -   Rooting habit.—Moderately freely branching; moderately             dense. -   Plant description:     -   -   Form.—Perennial shrub. Columnar plant habit; moderately             vigorous growth habit; freely basally branching habit with             about 13 flowering stems developing per plant per year;             pinching enhances lateral branch development.         -   Plant height.—About 48 cm.         -   Plant width (spread).—About 48.5 cm.         -   Lateral branch description.—Length: About 23.6 cm. Diameter:             About 3 mm. Internode length: About 4.2 cm. Strength:             Moderately strong. Texture: Smooth, glabrous. Color: Close             to 145A to 145B tinged with close to 181A; older stems,             close to N199C to N199D. -   Foliage description:     -   -   Arrangement.—Opposite, simple.         -   Length.—About 6.6 cm.         -   Width.—About 4.1 cm.         -   Shape.—Ovate.         -   Apex.—Obtuse.         -   Base.—Truncate.         -   Margin.—Entire.         -   Texture, upper and lower surfaces.—Smooth, glabrous; rugose.         -   Venation pattern.—Pinnate.         -   Color.—Developing leaves, upper surface: Between 143A and             144A. Developing leaves, lower surface: Close to 146C. Fully             expanded leaves, upper surface: Darker than 137A; venation,             close to 144B to 144C. Fully expanded leaves, lower surface:             Between 144B and 146C; venation, close to 144A to 144B.         -   Petiole.—Length: About 1 mm. Diameter: About 4 mm. Texture,             upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Color, upper and             lower surfaces: Close to 144A. -   Flower description:     -   -   Flower arrangement and shape.—Bright yellow-colored single             flowers arranged in terminal compound umbels; freely             flowering habit with about twelve flowers per umbel. Flowers             face mostly upright.         -   Fragrance.—None detected.         -   Natural flowering season.—During July and August in The             Netherlands.         -   Flower longevity.—Flowers last about two or three days on             the plant. Flowers not persistent.         -   Flower buds.—Length: About 9 mm. Diameter: About 7 mm.             Shape: Broadly ovate. Color: Close to 7B flushed with close             to 13A.         -   Inflorescence size.—Height: About 4.5 cm. Diameter: About             7.1 cm.         -   Flowers.—Diameter: About 2.9 cm. Depth (height): About 1.7             cm.         -   Petals.—Quantity/arrangement: Five in a single whorl.             Length: About 1.5 cm. Width: About 9 mm. Shape: Obovate.             Apex: Obtuse. Base: Attenuate. Margin: Entire. Texture,             upper and lower surfaces: Glabrous, smooth. Aspect: Concave.             Color, when opening and fully opened, upper and lower             surfaces: Close to 12A; color becoming closer to 13A with             development.         -   Sepals.—Quantity/arrangement: Five in a single whorl.             Length: About 1.3 cm. Width: About 9 mm. Shape: Ovate to             broadly ovate. Apex: Obtuse. Base: Broadly cuneate. Margin:             Entire. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Glabrous, smooth.             Color: When opening and fully opened, upper surface: Close             to 143A. When opening and fully opened, lower surface: Close             to 144B.         -   Peduncles.—Strength: Moderately strong. Length: About             2.2 cm. Diameter: About 1.5 mm. Texture: Smooth, glabrous.             Color: Close to 144B to 144C.         -   Pedicels.—Strength: Moderately strong. Length: About 1 cm.             Diameter: About 1 mm. Aspect: About 40° from the stem axis.             Texture: Smooth, glabrous. Color: Close to 143B.         -   Reproductive organs.—Stamens: Quantity per flower:             About 100. Filament length: About 1.1 cm. Filament color:             Close to 12A. Anther shape: Broadly oval. Anther length:             About 0.5 mm. Anther color: Close to 17A. Pollen amount:             Scarce. Pollen color: Close to 17A to 17B. Pistils: Quantity             per flower: Single pistil with three stigmas. Pistil length:             About 5 mm. Stigma shape: Club-shaped. Stigma color: Close             to 28B. Style length: About 4.5 mm. Style color: Close to             151C to 151D. Ovary color: Close to 3C to 3D.         -   Fruits.—Length: About 8 mm Diameter: About 9 mm. Shape:             Roughly spherical. Texture: Smooth, glabrous. Color: Close             to 4C; towards the base, close to 4D.         -   Seeds.—Length: About 0.8 mm. Diameter: About 0.5 mm. Color:             Between 199A and N199A. -   Disease/pest resistance: Plants of the new Hypericum have been noted     to be resistant to Puccinia rust. Plants of the new Hypericum have     not been observed to be resistant to pests and other pathogens     common to Hypericum. -   Weather/temperature tolerance: Plants of the new Hypericum have been     observed to tolerate wind, rain and temperatures ranging from about     −20° C. to about 30° C. 

1. A new and distinct Hypericum plant named ‘Kolmawhi’ as illustrated and described. 